Jake and the Never Land Pirates....DVD Review

by Joyce Kessel

Something VERY strange is happening all over Never Land, and things have gone missing! There's only one brave pirate that can save the day: Jake and the Never Land Pirates!!

In Jake and the Never Land Pirates: Never Land Rescue, Jake embarks on his most heroic mission ever as the magic of Never Land begins to disappear just as the ancient Forever Tree seems to be fading away. After a mysterious figure known as "The Guardian" arrives to explain that only the pirate who truly believes in himself can save Never Land, Jake must break off from the rest of his faithful crew and go it alone on a mission to save the Forever Tree, which as you know, is the source of ALL magic in Never Land. Guiding Jake on his perilous quest is none other than the Green Fairy herself - Tinker Bell (making her first EVER appearance in the Jake and the Never Land Pirates series).

Well, as you know, we're not the spoiler types here at Tales From The Mouse House, so I won't go in to greater detail than this, but rest assured, in Never Land Rescue things get quite hairy because, the pirate who rescues the Forever Tree also gets some of it's special magic. And you know what THAT means, right? Yep, Captain Hook wants in on that action! So, it's up to Jake and Tink to save the day, and Never Land. 

Of course, Jake and the Never Land Pirates is a Disney Junior series, and Never Land Rescue, although a separate DVD, is actually part of that television series. Included on the DVD, in addition to the full-length feature Never Land Rescue, are five episodes from the series not yet seen:

• It's A Pirate Picnic/The Key To Skull Rock - Hook digs up the crew’s picnic spot and the crew gets a key to a treasure.
• The Golden Twilight Treasure/Rock The Croc! - The crew must rescue a firefly from Hook and a treasure map lands in Croc’s mouth.
• Jake and Sneaky Le Beak/Cubby The Brave - A sneaky pirate steals from Hook and a pair of boots makes Cubby brave.
• Jake's Special Delivery/Seahorse Saddle-Up! - A mysterious package washes ashore and the crew races in a seahorse race.

Obviously this DVD isn't for everyone. In fact, Al fell asleep while I was watching, because, well, like I said, isn't for everyone! But trust me, the younger Disney fans will LOVE this. It has everything they could want in a Disney DVD: action, pirates, adventure, pirates, Tinker Bell, pirates, swords, pirates, mysteries and, did I mention pirates? This is certainly a terrific way to entertain the young ones during those cold winter months, or even for the warmer ones! And for the parents wondering if they SHOULD allow the kids to sit and watch a cartoon...yep. You should. Jake and the Never Land Pirates: Never Land Rescue isn't just a cartoon, it's a fun way to teach the kids important things, like team-work, acceptance, faith and facing their fears. In fact, I would LOVE to send a copy to my grandson Isaiah and granddaughter Emma! 

Also included on the DVD are eight bonus Playing With Skully cartoon shorts:

• Sailing The Never Sea
• Where's Sandy
• Pulley Hook
• North Bound
• Diving in the Coral Reef
• Ship Ahoy!
• Pirate Puzzle
• Coconuts On Pirate Island

AND, if that weren't enough, the DVD comes with a free inflatable sword (the Sword of Destiny from the movie) with glow in the dark stickers to decorate it with!  What little Jake fan wouldn’t love that! (Yeah, Al wanted to keep that, but I insisted it should go to someone who WATCHED the movie!)

Jake and the Neverland Pirates: Never Land Rescue is now available on DVD, and is rated TV-Y.

Happiest Blog on Earth...PIRATES!

Hey gang, sorry I missed my self-imposed blog deadline last week. But you see, there was this HUGE emergency I had to take care of, and then there was that urgent phone call I had to make, oh, and then I had to rush my friend to the…ok, well, those are not true at all! The truth is I got wrapped in to trying to sort out the details of the new Tales From The Mouse House Disneyland Podcast website that Tuesday came and went and I didn’t even realize it! The pitfalls of getting old..I mean, of being busy! Cuz, I’m NOT old…

So, what shall we talk about this week? Hmm, Pirates is a theme suggested by Lisa from Babes In Disneyland for her weekly blog hop. So, how about Pirates? Arrr! That be a right talk fer a salty ol’ sea adventuaaar like me!

Well, you come looking for salty old pirates eh? So let me tell you a story… a story of pirates, and ships, and swash buckling (what ever that means), and the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow! That’s right, I’m talking about the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California! One of my top three favorite attractions at the Resort, and one that Joyce and I never miss (that is, if it’s not closed!).  Ever since my first visit to the Disneyland Resort in 2007, Pirates of the Caribbean has been one of my all time favorite attractions, and to be completely honest, I have no idea why. I mean, other than it’s such an immersive, entertaining, well presented and completely realistic experience. But other than that, no clue.

So, I’m sure that you all know the story of the Pirates, so I won’t bore you with the details, but I will say that like Disneyland itself, this attraction has undergone a few upgrades to keep the story current and fun. When I first started going to the Resort, they had just introduced the ghostly image of Davy Jones telling us only the brave or foolish (not sure which one I am!) would go any farther. Now it’s Black Beard from On Stranger Tides giving us a sound warning. But, like the adventurous souls we be, our boat alters no course! YIKES!

Now, as I mentioned earlier, this really is one of my all time favorite attractions and for some reason, strikes a cord deep inside my heart. No, not in THAT way! In that, “makes you feel like a kid again” way that just makes me happy all over! I seriously can’t put a label on just exactly what it is about this attraction that I love so much, so I’ll just say it’s everything. Walt Disney set out to create not just another amusement park for people to enjoy, but a place to create memories. That may sound like a simple thing but it’s anything but simple. The memories he creates through his beloved Park are deeper than just fun, they’re connections to innocence. Maybe that’s why I love Pirates so much. When Joyce and I are sitting in our boat, I can FEEL those connections all around me. Almost as if…the attraction is haunted by the happy memories of countless families! Ok, too much? NAH!

Anyway…as many of you know, Joyce and I host Tales From The Mouse House Disneyland Podcast (hmm, I think I MAY have mentioned that a few times!), and if you’re interested in watching a fun video, check out episode 32, it’s our video podcast showcasing Pirates of the Caribbean and a few other adventures at the Disneyland Resort! Thanks for reading. And for forgiving me for missing last week. Oh, and for that drink I spilled on your carpet over the Holidays! Just kidding. Or am I??

~~~ Al



Duffy the Pirate Bear!!



The Happiest Blog On Earth - My Favorite Thing about Disneyland

This is a question that’s asked a lot of folks, isn’t it? What’s your favorite thing about the Disneyland Resort? We’re guilty of asking that question of every guest we have on our Tales From The Mouse House – Disneyland Podcast, and typically, we get answers like, “Pirates Of The Caribbean”, or “Small World” and even “Corn Dogs”. All very nice answers but if you really take time to consider the question, you may come up with something more.

Many of you know my story: I didn’t discover the Magic of Disneyland until late in life – 2007. And I was born in 1964! So yeah, one could say, late to the party. BUT, I made it to the party! So for me, the question posited earlier has a dual-layer answer. Yes, I LOVE Pirates, Small World and, well, I think you know how I feel about CORN DOGS (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THEM!!), but for me, there’s a much deeper answer. My favorite thing about Disneyland is…Disneyland.

Ok, let me get deep for a moment. Disneyland is many things to many people. It’s an amusement park that’s ever changing and yes, very fun. Disneyland puts the thrill in “thrill rides”, and then some. But if you really think about it, it’s really just a theme park, isn’t it? Roller coaster, check. Carousel, check. Water rides, check. Over priced amusement park foods…check. So, in that regard, what’s the difference between Disneyland and Six Flags? The answer of course is…Disneyland. That’s what Disneyland has that no other theme park in the WORLD has or will ever have. The magic of Disneyland is…Disneyland.

When Walt sparked the idea of creating a place for families to be together and have fun, it wasn’t just so folks could spend the day on rides. No, it was so families of the day, and 100 years in the future could share the same thing –experience. There’s a feeling, no, more like an emotion, that most people feel when they enter the gates to Disneyland. As odd as it sounds at a thrill park, (at least for me) that feeling/emotion is relaxed. I feel relaxed when I walk into Disneyland. Every ounce of concern, irritation, anger, disappointment that I harbor in my everyday life melts away when I’m at the Disneyland Resort. I don’t think that was an accident. I think Walt was very conscience of that fact when he designed the place, and that’s what he strived to achieve when he opened Disneyland in 1955.  No other place in the world can offer me that same feeling, even when I’m not there. When, in my “ordinary life”, I find myself getting overly stressed about something, I’ll close my eyes and visualize Disneyland and I smile. Disneyland is a feeling, an experience. I challenge all of you NOT to feel something on a very emotional level when you visit the Disneyland Resort. ~~~ Al